I’ll summarize the full details real quick for everyone. A county in Oregon lost a federal grant for timber that was a large source of revenue for them. The county attempted to pass a tax levy to make up the difference, but it was voted down. Because of this, they cut law enforcement back because that’s the obvious area to reduce funding. *SMH* One of the officers who was forced to retire early because of this mess decides to create a neighborhood watch group that is basically performing some of the duties of law enforcement mainly focused around property crime. They’re not handing out tickets or arresting anyone, at least from what the article said.

It’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. There are obviously legal ramifications here. There are liability issues and then the question of what they do when they are in a situation where they should arrest a person. So far it seems like everything they’ve been involved in has been pretty harmless, but I’m sure that won’t last forever. While I don’t agree with the scope of law enforcement at times, I also don’t want to trivialize their job and make it sound like anyone can do it. Since it’s a prior officer that’s running this thing, I’m hoping that there is some good quality training going on and that the people doing this are prior MIL/LEO.

Some of the citizens are saying that the local government is cutting law enforcement to basically force their hand and get them to approve the levy. I haven’t seen their budget, but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if this was the case. Regardless of whether or not there is enough money, I’m impressed with the citizens’ willingness to step up and get the job done. While law enforcement isn’t the first place I would think that we should have citizens stepping up to fill the gap, I am glad to see them doing what needs to be done, and I’m really hoping they do it right since this is the type of thing that can set a precedent going forward.

*blink* Not to mention the other post hiding behind a login calling Gottlieb a traitor. Seriously folks, are you that retarded and gullible.

First the primary source for your branding him a traitor is the Seattle Times which is notoriously anti-gun. So your reactions have served to help cripple funding to one of the biggest legal branches we have to defeat legislation. This is the principal man behind winning Heller and McDonald and you’re going to call him a traitor over what some liberal rag says. Are you stupid?

This man thinks in terms of a long chess game. He doesn’t just think one or two moves ahead, he thinks well beyond what most of us can even readily comprehend.

There’s a couple of things everyone needs to realize. First, our win is not guaranteed look at New York. Yeah they were blue, but look at how they accomplished it. If the Peoples Republic of Puget Sound wants to push something through, we can try to hold them off but I will refer you back to the King Dome/Safeco Field incident.

Second given that a win is not assured, we must take actions and measures to either kill a bill or force an actual compromise. The act of doing the latter can force the former.

Tell me, what happens when you attack a friendly, especially a friendly who is out in front leading a charge? You destroy his ability to continue to fight for you. You destroy his ability to trust you for support. You destroy his morale.

Going and publicly bad mouthing our supporters is nothing more than destroying those who support and fight for our cause. You do so without actually knowing what’s going on and on the word of someone who wants to destroy you.

First you should know that I do not support Washington House Bill 1588 as it is currently written.

My support for a state universal background check bill must include a substantial victory for gun owners that includes, but is not limited to repealing, prohibiting and destroying the current state handgun registration system and the data base of several million records of gun owners and their firearms that include the type of handguns and the serial numbers.

This would be a huge victory for our gun rights. We would be the first state to repeal a gun registration system. Think about that and what it means for your privacy as a gun owner and the fact that we all know historically that registration leads to confiscation.

In addition, if you have a carry permit you will be exempt from additional background checks. No checks would be required for transfers between family members. If you are a member of an organization like the Washington Arms Collectors that does a background check for membership, you would be exempt from additional checks to buy a firearm at their gun shows.

There are other inclusions that must be made as well that are good for our rights and freedom that need to be in a final bill to have my support.

My guess is that the gun grabbers will not go along with these provisions and kill the bill. If they do the “blood” so to speak is on their hands, not ours.

There are other smart, tactical, political and morally justified reasons why I have taken this position that I do not want to make public at this time. We do have enemies and I am not going to telegraph our strategy to them by spelling out our battle plans.

I enjoy winning our freedoms more than the fight. I wish I can say that about some of my critics who have pre-judged without knowledge what it is that I am doing.

Anyone who knows me knows that for the past forty years my efforts have expanded and protected our right to keep and bear arms from local city councils all the way to the United States Supreme Court.

Alan Gottlieb

As I said, this man is thinking not just tactically but strategically.

So tell me, who is the bigger enemy to freedom?

The guy thinking this through and has the ability to force a real compromise, one big enough the supporters may very well kill the bill?

The bunch of gullible idiots who believe half-truths and attack their own on the word of an enemy that wants to see them destroyed?

By all means contact Alan and voice your concerns, but I suggest you think long and hard about who you’re labeling a traitor. Especially if your goal is to either kill the bill or get an actual compromise. I’m here to tell you if I get something crammed down my throat, I want them to at least pay with something.

Our enemies want something for nothing. That’s not happening anymore but if you just sit there in the corner and keep screaming and attacking those on your side, they may very well still get it.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

There’s 14 days left in their drive with a goal of $65,000 dollars. Yeah times are tough on wallets, but you know what it’s also only going to get tougher for our right to keep an bear arms.

There is no question that California is dead center in the fight to keep an bear arms. Every time I’m around other gun owners and the subject turns to our rights, inevitably the subject of California’s draconian laws comes into play.

If you have 10 bucks, kick into the bucket and you’ll get a digital copy of the film. Hell, at just 50 you get a DVD and a crew T-Shirt.

How serious does the Second Amendment Foundation and Calguns Foundation consider this project?

The Second Amendment Foundation and the Calguns Foundation have each contributed $5,000.00 to get this project off the ground.

Let’s get this project completely airborne and complete their goal. This is something that definitely needs to be spread around. Tell your friends, tell your relatives, make this happen, it isn’t just California in trouble. California is merely the front line.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

The most dangerous thing about these people is that they want to affect our minds. They want to convince us that we do not matter. That we have no value. That if we were truly decent and caring people we would care more about the man trying to shove parts of his body into you or me by force than our right not to have that happen.

[I find it interesting that our opponents arguments are exactly as A Girl points out more and more. There is little to question about the way our opponents view criminals and the law-abiding. Their views are that the life of the criminal is worth more than the person who is being violated.

How sad is it when their position in the argument is that you should let the criminal violate you and then the state will give him “due process”. I don’t think he really understands how the legal system works. Due process isn’t a method to argue against self-defense. Due process is a legal term to protect the innocent from the force of the state. Due process only applies within the realm of the state. A criminal does not get entitled to have a jury vote thumbs up or down before their victim can fight back. The victim is a one man jury and the state will apply due process on that one man jury.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Never mess with cops who are generating revenue or otherwise engaging in tax collectionpenalty collection. For you see in this day in age, and in all honesty, a penalty is really a tax on something other people disagree with.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

So here’s the conversation for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about. Yes feel free to laugh at the guy who thinks he’s educating Janelle about how explosives work.

Aaron, let me enlighten you as to the background of my wife an I. We are both staff for FlashTek. Since you probably don’t know what that is, it’s run by Joe Huffman and is the company that is responsible for putting on Boomershoot every year. Here’s the quick rundown from this year.

In one weekend we manufacture approximately 2000 lbs of explosives and are quite familiar with what they are, how they work, and the possible consequences of both their use and misuse.

We both spend a lot of time outside of preparation for the main event with experiments and development of the mixture, targets, and other things both pertaining to the technical aspects for the explosives as well as the event itself.

On the fire and environmental factors:

You do not actually need excess fuel in the form of gasoline to start a fire. Actually the chemicals involved in the explosive can cause a fire on their own. Boomerite actually can spontaneously combust when subjected to UV sunlight but your extensive knowledge of explosives has you obviously knowledgeable on that fact. Do you know all the failure conditions for the materials involved in Tannerite to make your statement about fire not being an issue. Further no reaction is 100%, actually far from it. Some of the material from the explosion will not actually combust and be consumed in the reaction. These materials can be problematic as it can react with organic material as it breaks down. From a cursory inspection none of the materials immediately seem to be a fire danger but we thought the same thing about Boomerite.

The bottom line is that explosions are caused by combustion and to cause them we use materials that are prone to combust, quite quickly. Yes reactive targets have been blamed for fires, including some recently here in the state of Washington. While I’m not sure that the targets were the cause, it is certainly a possibility and not outside the realm of reality. As a FYI when that happened, it was still relatively wet out here, still is actually.

However that doesn’t change that you are actually within the fire season for the State of Washington, as well as Idaho. You can’t control the weather and just because things seem moist and safe doesn’t actually make it so. Further there are already numerous wild fires including one in Colorado and another in Montana. While further away, it should still serve as a reminder that caution and vigilance is important.

Be careful, be aware, have a plan to put it out, and make sure to turn the soil where you detonated the targets after you’re done to separate and disperse components. But you, who knows so much about explosives were going to do that already. Right?

Now on to my biggest point of contention.

This is Technically a Crime in Washington State

Washington is not exactly the friendliest of states with regards to explosives. As Janelle pointed out RCW 70.74 actually outlines many things that are prohibited regarding explosives. Including the fact that RCW 70.74.022 technically requires that any person mixing explosives have a license. While I fully and whole heartily sympathize and think it’s B.S. the law is still the law. It’s kind of funny that many of us whine about how congress critters ignore the law and then we turn around and do it ourselves. But that’s a level of irony for a whole different post.

But you’re not going to be in an urban area so how would you be caught I hear you cry. I would hope to shout since discharging a firearm is illegal in most cities and townships. But you should know you are not safe just because you’re in the middle of nowhere. All it takes is for one person to see you and dislike what you’re doing and you’ll be in a world of trouble. Joe had problems because someone who was near a quarry he had permission to be at called the sheriff and the ATF. Joe learned of the situation after and an ATF Agent, not inspector (also known as the branch of Jack Booted Thugs), tracked him down and contacted him weeks after the incident. Note Joe has a license to manufacture and handle explosives and permissions to be on the property. Joe also knew inspectors on a first name basis with people in the same office as the agent. Joe had every i dotted and t crossed and was legal and clear in what he was doing.

What cards do you have to play like that if someone doesn’t like what you’re doing? You will be in violation 70.74.022 and if they attempt to classify the explosive as a firework you will be violating 70.77.495. All it takes is some people trying to enjoy the wilderness that are disrupted by your activities and with a description of your vehicle you life can start rolling down hill.

FYI, I’m more familiar with how the legal system works that most people would ever like to be. There is a phrase I often say that I am going to repeat here, it’s how prosecutors think:

Given the overall destruction of Mens Rea three isn’t much the nanny state wont outlaw. Even given the fact that it’s nanny stateish I would be very careful about willfully or knowingly committing crimes, much less posting to Facebook about your intent and will to do so. That’s just not smart or bright at all. Especially since it can be brought out as evidence later showing you knew full well about the legalities involved.

Will you probably get away without a problem? Probably. Does it have the potential to go south on you? Most definitely. Do you need to be prepared about the potential to cause a fire? Yes, even though it isn’t extremely likely it can happen. It may not even happen while you’re there but a day or two later.

What the wife was saying and I’m repeating:

Be careful, know what you’re doing is dangerous and can have consequences that you’re not immediately aware of, and be prepared to deal with them because youare responsible. You would think that common sense would work, but common sense isn’t always so common. Instead of walking over people thinking you know more than them and just dismissing their comments for whatever reason, maybe you should just shut up and listen. They might have a reason for what they’re saying.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

I miss her, I barely even got to know her and by the time I met her she was already on life support dying. Bleeding profusely from everyone taking their entitlements, creating their moral wars on nouns, and ultimately dying from an ignorant public who would rather hear fanciful fairy tails than the painful truth.

Today, something very bad happened. There is some suspicion the decision was done as one would play a game of chess. There are some ideas of how it could work out, but it is possible to loose a game of chess if you’re not careful.

All I do know is we are no longer, and haven’t been as of recently, the best country on earth. There is no place I would rather live, it is my home, but she is being gutted. Government regulation and restriction has proceeded to destroy industry and innovation. Entitlement programs have proceeded to kill self-motivation and have become nothing more than legalized theft.

All I saw today was something I loved dearly coughing and hemorrhaging blood. Showing her mortal wound while all of us hope, pray, and plan to find a way that it may not be mortal. Hoping we can arrest the fall before it’s too late. Before there is no choice but to find a new frontier. One where we can find freedom again.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Think about that long and hard. These individuals broke the law willfully with an intent to create “necessity” for their new violations of the law. Their new violation of the law was the gun control they wished to implement itself as it is a blatant violation of the Firearm Owners Protection Act.

Many have attempted to vilify the gun shops in this case saying they should have just not sold the weapons. What these people are refusing to acknowledge is the ATF, through their regulatory power, forced these shops to sell to people the would have otherwise not sold weapons to.

Barron is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms.

He has a BS in electrical engineering from Washington State University. Immediately after college he went into work on embedded software and hardware for use in critical infrastructure. This included cryptographic communications equipment as well as command and control devices that were using that communications equipment. Since then he’s worked on just about everything ranging from toys, phones, other critical infrastructure, and even desktop applications. Doing everything from hardware system design, to software architecture, to actually writing software that makes your athletic band do its thing.

Barron Barnett/(The Minuteman Blog) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.